6.23.2011

theives in the onion patch

we seem to be in a root vegetable groove. i have been obsessively reading --well, as obsessively as a farmer such as myself can find time to read-- root cellaring: natural cold storage of fruits and veggies. and so the roots are comin out! yesterday we spent a brutal 5 hours digging onions. there was a brief scare that somebody had stolen all of our onions. it turned out they were really just hiding in the weeds. i have Neglected that garden...with a vicious passion. today was potatoes and carrots and garlic. i really know how to show these kids a good time. the prospect of storing...hoarding... all these wondrous veggies all year round is too tempting. the smugness that could come with preparing a potato salad with your own potatoes for one of those random, glorious, and singular warm weather days in january when everyone jumps to cookouts and short shorts! root cellaring appeals to the parsimonious kate and the vainglorious kate.

photos:
1. purple & orange carrots. in june. no. big. deal. (isn't IT a big deal? one farmer implied they were impressed)
2. i think my sister is the most beautiful.
3. this garlic is not so beautiful.  but it will, as they say, get the job done.
4. god bless the flowers that reseeded themselves from last summer. the wasps and beneficials thank you.  i was a neglectful flower seeder.
5. onions! curing in the greenhouse.
6. litter in my garden. shameful. as it was me. definitely.  and i walk by that blasted bottle every day. haven't picked it up. you should hear the Lecture i pour onto others when they leave so much as a spade or a dropped tomato in my garden. ahhhh, finding hypocrisy in ourselves is one of the everday joys of life.
7. just a reminder to you all, that i am, indeed, a cowgirl.

6 comments:

  1. speaking of onions, i planted some for the first time in my garden, and now i'm wondering how i know when they are just right to be pulled. any advice?

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  2. hi katie, the general rule for onions is when their leafy green stems start to brown and fall over. then they are ready. also, onions can start to flower and try to go to seed before the bulbs are very big, if this happens you will also need to pull them as their bulb will no longer grow and can start to turn to mush.

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  3. i'm impressed that the carrots are ready so soon!

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  4. I'm feeling abnormally jealous of your veggies. Grow little garden, grow!!!

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  5. I'm so impressed with your garden! I love it! Your bounty is so motivating!

    Kacie
    http://www.acollectionofpassions.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete

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